X100F Lensmate Thumbrest + Half Case * GFX Sensitvity Stops at ISO 1,600 + Reviews * 50/2 Image Review * Fuji Guys X-T20 Top Features (miXed zone)

X20 Award Nominated Image

Award nomination with Fuji X20: Dario Ayala was just nominated for a Canadian National Newspaper Award, the highest recognition for Canadian journalists and photojournalists, for an image that he made last summer using the Fuji X20 whose line, sadly, has been discontinued. The X system gets a lot of love, but this series was a bit overlooked during its existence. See the image on instagram here and link to the nomination here.

Fujifilm GFX
USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS

Fujifilm GFX facebook member C. shared the image above on the group. It shows a heavily overexposed image and what seems to be an insane highlight recovery capbility of the Fujifilm GFX 50s. This image was a great opportunity to clarify what happens inside the GFX:

X-guru Rico (also GFX facebook member), looking at the image above, explained here:

“Sensor analysis shows us that the GFX stops writing gain into the RAW file beyond ISO 1600. So this ISO 6400 shot is actually a ISO 1600 shot that is 2 stops underexposed. So 2 stops of the “amazing highlight recovery” are fake. ;) Lightroom simply applied a virtual 2 stop gain on import, which is of course fully reversable. Basically shooting at ISO 6400 is like shooting with DR400% always on.

Nothing really new here, since all Fujifilm cameras with X-Trans I, X-Trans II and also the X-A1/2 and M1 worked exactly the same way. X-Trans III are different, they bake the gain into each RAW (except for ISO 51200, which is actually ISO 25600 with a 1 stop import gain).

To perform a proper test of sensor highlight recover potential, you have to expose a series of shots at base ISO 100, then try to recover and normalize each of them and see where you put your personal limit of acceptable quality.

it was always nice to have additional DR at high ISO with most EXR I and EXR II cameras. This feature is now back with the GFX, but sadly, Adobe LR/ACR fails to apply correct import amplification in most cases. Basically, everything except for ISO 100, 125, 160 and 200 is somewhat off, often by a larger margin than is acceptable. There’s also a white balance issue at higher ISO settings which affects pretty much all external RAW converters (RAWs from the in-camera converter are okay). Of course, I have documented all of this and sent it to Fujifilm, so maybe Adobe will improve GFX support in a few weeks/months with their next Lightroom update.”

Yesterday, GFX member Wei already pointed out over at the group here after the technical sensor measurements tests by Photons to Photos, that “you can’t push the sensitivity up by adopting an ISO higher than 1600. Your sensitivity stops there“

More GFX Links worth to be checked out

  • 20 Days with GFX 50s at huseyintaskin: “Once you enlarge the photo from the computer and look it up, it creates a quality threshold that will never come out of your mind. Whatever you do, your mind is staying in that quality. […] DR is an advantage for me, I can make cinematic tones more comfortable. Each transition is very soft in these colors that you give me in these intermediate tones. It gives a rich transition result.”
  • Fuji GFX portrait session review at mikekobal: “Impressive sensor performance at low and high ISO settings. Fuji’s color science shines once again, jpegs out of the camera are beautiful, lots of latitude for easy tweaks, better then raw files on certain cameras!”
  • Join our super-active and super-helpful Fujifilm GFX community
  • Don’t miss a single GFX tidbit and follow our public GFX Facebook page

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RUMOR: Massive (!!!) Kaizen Love for Fujifilm X-T2 and X-Pro2 in March and May. 33 Improvements!

photo KAIZEN_zps1fdb780f.png

The Big Kaizen Party

Hold on tight, guys! Because X-T2 and X-Pro2 shooters are going to have a lot of fun soon.

Ready?

Two (2) sources decided to put the entire X-T2 and X-Pro2 shooter community in a frenzy of enthusiasm, by sharing with us via rumor box what follows:

There will be 2 firmware updates coming. One later this month (March), and another one is currently scheduled for May. And now comes the hot part: the firmware for X-Pro2 and X-T2 will bring 33 improved features, such as:

  • extended bracketing (maximum of 9 shots in total)
  • updates for the AF system
  • copyright info to exif
  • improved video functionality
  • viewfinder enhancements
  • GUI change
  • many others :)

A massive firmware update, worth of the best Kaizen!

Thanks for sharing, anonymous guys with nick-name. And just in case in future you decide to share more tidbits, don’t hesitate to contact me using the same nick name.

(NOTE: firmware updates can be postponed anytime. In the past, Fujifilm gave public deadlines for firmware updates, but it happened so often that they couldn’t respect their own deadline, that they decided to stop any public statement about new firmware release.)

What else will come? (personal specualtion):

And what else would you like? :)

P.S.: if you are an X100S/T shooter, please, here is the contact form to write directly to Fujifilm Japan… you may drop them an email asking for a bit of Kaizen Love.

take care,
Fuji X Forum, Facebook, RSS-feed and Twitter

Fujifilm Already Plans GFX Firmware Update based on User Feedback & more GFX Feedback

Interview with well known Fuji manager Warwick Williams. Here some excerpts:

  • Fujifilm tradition to listen to user feedback continues, and they are developing a new GFX firmware based on cutomers feedback
  • Metabones adapters for GFX are possible in future
  • More OIS lenses will come in 2018, but obviously Warwick can’t talk about it

Feel free to tell us in the comments, which improvements you would like to see in the GFX

Fujifilm GFX: USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS

More GFX Reviews

  • Flexing the FujiFilm GFX 50S: From the street to the moon! at mpex-experience: “If you are a DSLR user thinking about upgrading your 1DX, 5DS or similar with a system that has truly excellent image quality, amazing glass (and adapters to use lenses from Hassy to Canon and everything in between), great ergonomics (that tilting EVF!), and Fujifilm’s hallmark look and latitude in image processing, you should give it a try too.“
  • Fuji GFX 50S: the photographer’s experience at camerajabber
  • Fujifilm Indonesia new dedicated GFX website fujifilmgfx.id
  • The Fujifilm GFX has landed! at travelshooteditrepeat

Best GFX online sources

Did You Know You Could Do This on Your X Series Camera? – 5 Tips from the Fuji Guys

The Fuji Guys are back to show you five different tips and settings you can change on your Fujifilm X Series camera. See the video here on youtube

  • half press shutter button to exit menu
  • Format: Go to playback mode press and hold delete button for 2 or 3 seconds and then press rear command dial
  • how to quickly go to the last option in the menu (go to first option and press up)
  • capture panorama in portrait mode, by selecting from bottom to top or top to bottom
  • change AF point quickly: if you want to go from one side of the AF field to the opposite other one, just wrap around

Fujifilm GFX 50s Independet Sensor and Dynamic Range Measurement by “Photons to Photos” (Vs. Pentax 645z, Nikon D810 & More)

We X-shooters are not really used to these kind of tests, mainly for 2 reasons:

  1. DxOmark never tested X-Trans sensors
  2. We don’t care

But news is news, so I’m going to share it here on FujiRumors, and then all of you can make up your own mind.

Short intro: the first time I’ve heard about the website “photonstophotos” was via our wonderful GFX facebook group on March 11 here. This website makes independent sensor tests (just like DxO).

Well, they just included the Fujifilm GFX 50s in their test charts… and at least from a first glance I gave, I’d say the Fujifilm GFX 50s pretty much kicks a$$. This would be no surprise, since Fujifilm GFX owners swear that the dynamic range of this camera is incredible (“if feels like cheating“), as recently posted here and here.

I will be honest to you: right now, while writing this post, I don’t really have the time or the condition to evaluate all the test results (I was out the whole day shooting with my X-T1 + 23/1.4, and I’m closing my wonderful day with a bit too much red wine ;) ). But here is the link to Photons to Photos, and you can make all your comparisons and share your findings in the comments.

With that said, when I’ve heard of this website via GFX facebook group back in March, I did compare the X-T2, X-Pro2, X-T20 and X100F. All these cameras gave different sensor performance results (despite being all X-TransIII cameras). The X-T2 gave better results over the X-Pro2, I guess probably because of the better heat dissipation of the X-T2 body.

I promise that tomorrow I will take a closer look at the chart. If I find something worth to be highlighted, I’ll share it here on FR. But now, pardon me, I have to finish my wine ;)

Fujifilm GFX: USA BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS EU: AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK, ParkCamerasUK, PCHstore AUS: CameraPro

cheers
Fuji X Forum, Facebook, RSS-feed and Twitter

P.S.: Sorry for typos and crappy English ;)